Donate a Horse

How to Donate

If you would like to donate a horse to our program, please contact ASAP to learn about current needs and possible arrangements. After you have contacted ASAP, you will need to print out and send the "Assignment of Ownership" form.

Benefits of Donation

Since A.S.A.P. is recognized as a 501 (C) (3) charitable organization, you may take up to a $5000 tax write-off for donating your horse. We have been serving the harness racing industry since 1994.

ASAP is the only charity in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois dedicated solely to serving the midwest harness racing industry--offering services catering specifically to the harness horse owner. ASAP is endorsed and supported by the Illinois Harness Horseman's Association, Balmoral and Maywood Park, major Illinois breeding farms, and trainers, drivers, owners, and fans of harness racing. Donations make it possible for us to continue our endeavor to provide for all horses in need, regardless of condition. The success of our program depends upon your generosity.

A.S.A.P. accepts donations of all breeds of horses.

The American Standardbred Adoption Program offers...

Lifetime placement for your horse
Thorough screening of families who desire to adopt your horse
Personal visits by ASAP staff to midwest racetracks (weekly-monthly)
Regular follow-up visits to new families to insure proper care
Free hauling of your horse
Free pickup from Balmoral, Maywood Park, and Springfield
Monthly updates on midwest racehorses and what's happening in their new homes as pleasure horses
Standardbreds used in therapeutic riding programs for children with special needs
The assurance that your horse will never be raced again...anywhere.

What will happen to my horse?

We provide free hauling for your horse from the stabling site. In order to pick up a horse and transport it into Wisconsin, all we need is a current coggins and an interstate health certificate, or certificate of veterinary inspection. These health certificates are filled out by your veterinarian, and only take a couple of minutes to complete.

Once you have received the necessary paperwork from your vet, you notify us to haul the horse. Your horse usually will be transported to the ASAP Inc. farm near La Crosse, WI. The farm has several acres of pasture, a large outdoor riding arena, and one smaller paddock within a pasture, for the horses to acclimate to their new surroundings. We fully realize that some horses are not used to any type of fencing besides board or vinyl, and we have vinyl fence, as well as sturdy tube gate fences for your horse to be put in initially. Some horses are not used to being herded, so we slowly get them used to fencing as well as the horses around them over time. There is access to shelter at all times, and we do have a barn with a few stalls available as well. Most horses arriving at the farm are kept in a stall for the first day, evaluated, then turned out as appropriate.

The matching process begins after a horse has been in our care for a long enough period of time to evaluate them for soundness, temperament, and suitability. People who have been approved for adoption come to the farm to see the horses. We are never in a hurry to place a horse if we do not feel totally comfortable with the people wanting to adopt. We want to make sure that the horses go to a permanent home, and this process can take time, but we have the best interest of the horse at heart.

If the horses do not go to the ASAP farm they may go to a foster family. This is not the normal scenario, but it does happen on occasion. Horses who need a longer rest due to racing injuries may go to foster care. Also, there may be occasions where the ASAP farm is too full to accomodate more than five to seven horses (depending on the time of year), which would warrant a foster placement.

The people who provide foster care are people who have been involved with our program for a period of at least one year or several years, and have proven themselves to be credible horsemen. You can be assured that your horse is well cared for!

Who is part of the ASAP family?

ASAP, Inc. race horses have $10,000,000 in lifetime winnings! Join our family of racing champions and former racing celebrities. If your horse is a winner, why not place him in the hands of the organization responsible for the dignified retirements of the the racing horses listed below?

We typically place over 100 horses a year in qualified homes with loving families. These horses--and many more too numerous to mention--have found a niche right here in the midwest. Occasionally, a few travel to places as far away as South Dakota or Colorado, or Tennessee to their new homes. We hope you consider us when choosing retirement for your horse.